Automobile-engine lock



R. W. YANTIS. AUTOMOBILE ENGINE LOCK- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1920.

Patented 1, 1921.

Im/airfar,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY W. YANTIS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMOBILE-ENGINE LOCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY 1V. YANTIS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Engine Locks, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to automobile locks, and more especially to locks for the engines of automobiles, and the object of the invention is to produce a lock for preventing unauthorized starting and operation of the engine as a safeguard against the stealing of the car and for reducing the cost of insurance thereof. More specifically my object is to produce a simple, inexpensive, strong and durable lock which can be easily and cheaply applied to any of the approved types of motor cars now on the market. A further obje t is to produce a lock for use on the front end of the crank shaft of the engine, the lock being of such character that it can be readily and easily removed by an authorized person, in the event that it is ry to crank the engine by hand. i .th the objects in view above mentioned, the invention consists in certain novel and;v useful features of construction and combines tions of parts as hereinafter described and, claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had. to the {10-1 companying drawing, in which Figure 1. is a central longitudinal section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section taken on the line H--II of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a rear enc view of the lock.

i is a cross section taken on the linej iv 'iv of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a front end View of the lock.

6 is a side view of one of the locking pins. I

In the said drawing where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all the figures, 1 indicates a cylindrical cup shaped casing having a reentrant opening or recess in its front end wherein is secured a lock 2. such as a cylinder lock. The open end of the cup shaped casing is closed by a heavy cap or cover 3, and screwed by left hand threads into the rear face of said cap or cover eccentrically of the axis of said casing,- is a tube 4 wherein slips slidingly a plunger 5 provided with a. socket at its Specification of Letters Patent.

lbarB of the motor feages 18 of provided at opposite Patented Mar. 1, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 369,703.

rear end and notches 6 opening therein. The plunger is retained in the tube 4 by means of a cross pin 7 engaging longitudinal slots 8 in the tube, and a spring 9 is contained in said tube and bears at its opposite ends against the cap or cover 3 and the front end of the plunger 5 and tends to force the same rearwardly at all times.

The lock is provided with a central rotatable stem 10 adapted to be turned in a counterclockwise direction by inserting a suitable key in the front end of the lock and turning such key. The stem carries rigidly within the casing a cross head or rocker bar 11 and adjacent said cross head or rocker bar is a lock bar 12 provided with a pair of pins 13 extending through arcuate slots 1% in the cross head or rocker bar. The locking bar 12 is pivoted centrally at 15 to the inner face of the cap or cover 3, and is 7 connected near its opposite ends by oppositely disposed springs 16, to fixed pins 17 projecting from the said cap or cover of the case, the arrangement being such that the springs 16 exert a continuous pull tending to turn the locking bar in the opposite direction to that which the lock stem 10 is turned by the operation of the key.

At diametrically opposite points the casing is formed with longitudinal bores or 35 passages 18, and at opposite sides the walls of said bores or passages are provided with penings 19 wherein the ends of the locking bar are capable of swinging.

Projecting forwardly from the front cross car, is a pair of stud pins 520 for engagement with the bores or pasthe casing, and also for extending slidingly through registering openings in the cap or cover 3, and said stud pins are sides with looking notches 21 and with beveled notches 21". Vv'hen the locking notches 21 register with the notches 19, the locking bar 12 is snapped by the springs 16 into said locking notches and thus makes it impossible to move the casinoslidinrrly on the stud pins 20 in either direction. The casing is thus locked when the devi e is in operative position to prevent starting operation of the engine. The locking bar 12 is engagedv with the beveled notches 21 when the lock is withdrawn from operative or looking relation with the engine. and in such position guards against the accidental loss of the look by slipping of the casing off the front ends of the stud pins. To guard against this result springs 22 are disposed in the bores or passages 18 and constantly exert pressure against the casing and the front ends of the stud pins and thus apply lateral pressure by the locking bar against the front or abrupt walls of said beveled notches. This tends to guard against any accidental unlocking movements of said locking bar. 7

To prod co the reentrant opening in the front fa'ce of the casing, the same is formed with a cylindrical wall 24, and bolts connect the rear end of the lock 2' with a plate 23 bearing against the rear end of the wall. 24.'

This is a convenient way of securing the lock 2 in position, but it is obvious that this may be varied without departing from the principle of construction involved. The stud pins have reduced threaded extensions which pass through openings ordinarily found in the front cross bar of the motor car, and retaining nuts 26 engage said threaded end and bear against the rear side of said cross bar. The opening through which the tube f extends is that which is commonly provided in the cross bar B for the reception of the hand crank used for cranking the engine. a

To apply the lock to a motor car or preventing the starting of the engine, the tube 4; with the socketed plunger 5 is first slipped through the opening in the cross bar and adjusted rearwardly therethrough until the casing is fitted on the stud pins 20. At about this time the plunger, which is held advanced by the spring 9, andthe springs 22 1 in the bores or passages'of the casing, respectively engage the front ends of the crank shaft of the engine and the front ends of the pins 21, the plunger having slipped on the frontendof the crank shaft until the cross pin, commonly found on such shafts, is en gages. with a pair of opposite notches 6, or is hearing against the front extremity of-the socks-ted end of the plunger adjacent such notches. Continued adjustment of the casing then effects compression of the spring 9 by the forward sliding of the tube f on the plunger 5,, and compression of the springs 22 against the pins 20. lVhen the casing has been ad ust-cl suiiiciently to dispose the locking bar 12 opposite the notches 21 of said pins, the sprlngs 16 snap the ends of 7 said locking bar into said notches, and thus lock the casin g from further slidable movement. If the socketed plunger is engaged in interlocked relationiit is obvious that the shaft of the engine cannot be turned. because the pins 2 0 eccentric to said shaft, prevent turning movement of'the casing 1. If the said pm of the crank shaft is engaging the front extremity ofthe socketed plunger as above suggested, then the'slightest turning movement of the crank shaft will dispose said pin in line with a pair of the notches 6 and as a result the spring 9 will instantly advance the socketed plunger and cause the said alined notches to engage said pin and thus interlock with the crank shaft and prevent turning movement thereof.

To unlock the crank shaft of the engine, the operator inserts a proper key in the lock 2 and turns the same to cause the rocker bar 11. to turn and by pressure on the pins 13, rock the locking bar 12 out of engagement with the notches 21 of pins 20. The casing can then slide forward on said pins thus disengaging the socketed plunger from the crank shaft, and when the adjustment of the casing is sufficient to dispose the locking bar 12 in the plane of the notches 21 of the pins 20, springs 16 will snap the ends of the locking bar into said notches and thus guard against the accidental withdrawal of the easing from said pins. If the lock is to be removed entirely from the car to permit the same to be cranked by hand, the pressure must be retained upon the key mentioned or reapplied thereon to disengage the locking last mentioned notches of bar 12 from the the pin, thus perinltting the lock as a Whole necessary to removethe look as a whole from 7 position, and when it is desired to ire-lock the engine, the casing is simply slid toward the cross ha: of the car, the beveled faces of the, notches 2i permitting such adjustment of the casing, this movement continuing until the locking bar again snaps into the notches 21, when the plunger 5 is either interlocked with the crank shaft or is ready to automatically interlock therewith upon the slightest movement thereof, as herenr 7 above explained; 7

From the above description it will be apparent that Lhave procuced a lock for motor car engines and the like which embodies the features of advantage set forth as desir able in the sta tement'of the object of the invention, and which is susceptible of modificati n in minor particulars without depart ing from the principle of construction and mode of operation involved or from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

1 Claim: V

1. An automobile engine lock, comprising a support mounted on the car frame, a casing slidingly engaging said support, a guide mounted in said casing and bearing a plunger adapted to interlock with the enguide projecting from V thereof, toward and in ably and non-rotatably carried by the guide, a spring for pressing the plunger into interlocking engagement with said shaft, when the casing is adjusted its full distance toward said shaft, and spring-actuated means for locking the casing in rigid relation to the car frame.

3. An automobile engine lock comprising a pair of stud pins on the car frame and parallel with the engine shaft, and provided with notches in their opposite sides, a casing slidable on said pins, a guide projecting from the casing eccentric-ally of the axis, toward and in line with said shaft, a springprojected plunger slidably and non-rotatably carried by the guide for interlocking engagement with said shaft, a pivoted locking bar within the casing, and for pressing the ends of said bar into the notches of the said pins when the casing is adjusted toward the shaft sufficiently to position the plunger for interlocking engagement with the engine shaft.

4. An automobile engine lock, comprising a pair of stud pins on the car frame and parallel with the engine shaft, and provided with notches in their opposite sides, a casing slidable on said pins, a guide projecting from the casing eccentrically of the axis line with said shaft, a spring-projected plunger slidably and non-rotatably carried by the guide, for interlocking engagement with the said shaft, a pivoted locking bar within the casing, and yielding means for pressing the ends of said bar into the notches of the said pins when the casing is adjusted toward the shaft sufficiently to position the plunger for interlocking engagement to the engine shaft, and key-actuated means to disengage the said bar from said notches.

5. An automobile engine lock, comprising a pair of stud pins on the car frame and parallel with the engine shaft, and provided with notches in their opposite sides, slidable on said pins, a guide projecting from the casing eccentrically of the axis thereof, toward and in line with said shaft, a spring-projected plunger slidably and non-rotatably carried by the guide, for interlocking engagement with the said shaft, a pivoted locking bar within the casing, yielding means for pressing the ends of said bar into the notches of the stud pins when the casing is adjusted toward the shaft sufliciently to position the plunger for interlocking engagement with the engine shaft, means to disengage the said bar from said notches, and springs to reverse the adjustment of the casing to withdraw the plunger from interyielding means lgclfing position with respect to the said s a 6. An automobile engine lock, comprising apair of stud pins on the car frame and parallel with the engine shaft, and provided with a pair of straight Wall notches and a pair of beveled notches, the straight walled notch and beveled notch of one pin being at the same side thereof and at the opposite side of said pin from the corresponding notches of the other pin, a casing provided with parallel bores receiving said pins, springs in said bores and pressing in opposite direction against the casing and the said pins, a guide projecting from the casing eccentrically of the axis thereof, toward and in line with the engine shaft, a spring-projected plunger slidably and non-rotatably carried by the guide. for interlocking engagement with the said shaft, a pivoted locking bar within the casing, yielding means tending to press the ends of said bar into the straight wall notches or beveled Wall notches of the stud pins, when the casing is adjusted toward the shaft sufliciently to position the plunger for interlocking engagement with the engine shaft or when the casing is adjusted reversely sufficiently to with draw the plunger from interlocking position with respect to said shaft, and key-actuated means for disengaging the said locking bar from engagement with the straight wall notches or for disengagement with the beveled wall notches when it is desired to withdraw the casing from operative position on said stud pins.

7. An automobile engine lock, comprising a pair of stud pins on the car frame and parallel WlthiillG engine shaft, and providedwith notches in their opposite sides, a casing slidable on said pins, a gulde projecting from the casing eccentrically of the axis thereof, toward and in line with said shaft, :1- spring-projected plunger slidably and nonrotatably carried by the guide, for interlocking engagement with said shaft, a pivoted locking bar within the casing, yielding means for pressing the ends of said bar into the notches of the stud pins when the casing is adjusted toward the shaft sufficientlyto position the plunger for interlocking engagement with the said shaft, a lock in the casing having a rotary element, a cross-head on said element, and a pin and slot connection between the cross-head and said locking bar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ROY W. YANTIS. 

